Alvernia (8-5) senior Lauren Fortna (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon Catholic) knocked down a jumper to break a 63-all tie with 5:27 to play, but Ward answered with a 3 and sank a pair of three throws for a 68-65 York (11-4) lead. Senior guard Jess Kemp (York, PA/York Suburban) hit two more from the line to push the York lead to five and Ward’s layup at 2:43 put the guests up seven, 72-65.
Fortna stopped the streak with a pair of free throws, setting a new career high with her 26th point on the night, but Kemp hit a huge 3 falling away from the top of the key with 1:31 to play and the Spartans hit a few free throws to hold on.
Ward finished with a team-high 17 points for the Spartans. Sophomore Chanel Perez (Biglerville, PA/Gettysburg) finished with 16 points, Kemp scored 13, and Kristin Daly (Harrisburg, PA/Trinity) and Amy Fry (Carlisle, PA/Big Springs) added 10 apiece. Alvernia sophomore Allee Barnes (Bloming Glen, PA/Pennridge) was the only other Crusader to reach double figures with 12 points.
The first half featured nine total ties with neither team holding a lead of more than five points, and Fortna’s free throw with one second left in the half gave the hosts a 34-33 lead at the break.
York opened up a six point lead early in the second scoring the first seven points of the half, and regained the six point lead, 45-39, on Kemp’s 3 with 16:43 to play. Fortna answered with a 3 and the Crusaders cut the gap to two, but York answered with four straight points to push the gap back to six with 12:10 left.
Fortna’s third 3 of the night gave Alvernia a slight one point lead at 8:57 and her jumper at the 5:00 mark preceded York’s 9-0 run.
Alvernia will hit the road for a pair of conference games at Neumann on Thursday and Arcadia on Saturday before returning home to face Misericordia next Monday.
York (Pa.) 79, Alvernia 73